“Got Opportunity” by Russell Qualglia, Kristine Fox, and Michael Corso

“I’m not as smart as the Honors kids, so there is no point in trying harder.” “My teacher just doesn’t like me.” “School’s boring!” We have all heard the excuses. Imagine if instead of hearing our students complain about school, we heard them say, “My teacher believes I can succeed.” Or, what if our students said, “My teacher cares about me.” Wouldn’t we as teachers be blown away if one of our students said, “School is a welcoming place, and it is important to set high goals to learn.”

Not all students fit into the first category of complaining, failing students just as not all students will fit into the positive, achieving group of students either. There are definite gaps between those students who succeed with or without our help, those students who succeed with some extra help, and those students who fail no matter how much we try to help them. We, as educators, must bridge that gap. In their article “Got Opportunity,” Russell Quaglia, Kristine Fox, and Michael Corso identify three specific gaps to consider: the expectations gap, the relationship gap, and the participation gap.

More often than not, people only achieve what is expected of them. To close the expectations gap, Quaglia, Fox, and Corso recommend that teachers let each of their students know what he or she is doing well and then explain how the student can do better on the next assignment. The authors encourage teachers to hold students accountable, and to tell the students individually what is expected from him or her. (2)

“…Sadly, some survey results indicated that many students lack a solid, trusting relationship with a teacher….more than half of almost 500,000 students surveyed do not believe that teachers care if they show up…” (Quaglia, Fox, & Corso, p. 2)Statistics show that students who find some kind of connection with their teachers put forth more effort in their work. This effort is directly tied to the student’s achievement. To close the relationship gap, teachers should follow up with students who are absent (let them know they were missed), host lunches in the classroom, and ask students what their personal goals are.

The final gap that seems to directly affect student success is the participation gap. The authors write, “To close achievement gaps, schools must cultivate an atmosphere that connects students meaningfully to their learning – one that leads young people to learn content that’s relevant to them, encourages them to ask questions, and puts them at ease in taking risks.” (p, 3) Teachers can show students that we care about their opinions by discussing issues that are relevant to the students, welcoming all questions, and creating after-school activities that focus on the students’ interests. Our society has changed, and students learn differently today than they did in the past. By using technology and information today, we must apply relevant strategies to our teaching practices.

Bibliography

Quaglia, R., Fox, K., & Corso, M. (2010, November). Got Opportunity? Educational Leadership , 68 (3), pp. 1-5.